Oregon fan? Plead your case here.

[BigIrish]

I find it rather ironic that duck fans, and fans that support schools from any of the BCS conferences, can point to ND and say that all they have to do to qualify for a BCS game is to win 9 games and be ranked in the top 12. That's ALL they have to do?

this is the second time in the past 3 or 4 years that FSU has gone to a BCS game after losing 4 games. Last year, Pitt went to the Fiesta at 7-4 and got the pants beat off them by a mid-major.

if it weren't for the shake up this year in the ACC, the conference would be in danger of losing BCS eligibility, because they weren't meeting their average ranking of #12 or higher.

Before any duck fans lament about how a 9-2 ND team got a BCS bid for doing nothing more than winning 9 games and being ranked in the top 6 in the country (top five, if you toss out the coaches poll boondoggle that moved OU past ND after both teams seasons were over) they'd do more for themselves to simply shut the hell up and take comfort in the fact that under their current system, their conference representative can lose three non-conference games, one or two conference games, hold no top 10 (or top 20 for that matter) ranking, and depending on how the cards fall, still qualify for a BCS game.

what a sham.

 

[Vince Young]

Part of this argument is that the Ducks barely beat Arizona... However, after doing some research you can see that Arizona was a team that was in the middle of a surge as seen by a dismantling of UCLA...

Followed by...

Saying "MSU was a hot team" is pathetic. MSU lost 6 of their next 8 after you played them.

So, according to you it's valid to point out that "Arizona was in the middle of a surge," but it's "pathetic" to say "Michigan State was a hot team."

Well, I've done the research. Might I point out that Arizona went 2-2 after you played them. But I guess .500 across 4 games counts as a "surge" now. Yes, Arizona beat UCLA. They also lost to Washington. Let me repeat that. They lost to 2-9 WASHINGTON. Was that loss part of Arizona's "surge"? Just wondering.

The only quality win on the entire ND schedule was Michigan. And try to tell me that the combined wins against Fresno State, Cal, and Arizona State did not offset that. The next best team on the ND schedule was BYU. Quite the quality win.

Okay... you defeated 8-4 Fresno State, 7-4 Cal and 6-5 Arizona State. We defeated 7-4 Michigan, 7-4 Navy and 6-5 BYU.

So, by your logic, 7-4 Cal and 6-5 Arizona State are "quality wins," but 7-4 Navy and 6-5 BYU aren't. Hypocrisy indeed. As I said to your friend Richduck... Dude. You called a win over 6-5 Arizona State a "quality win." How am I supposed to take you seriously after that?

Let's get real. None of those were quality wins. We beat Michigan, you beat Fresno State, one quality win each. And every strength-of-schedule comparison I've seen shows Notre Dame and Oregon right about equal.

Too bad you were "forced" to play a I-AA team. Maybe if you'd replaced them with even a cellar-dwelling I-A team, your strength-of-schedule would've been higher.

The deal for Notre Dame exemplifies this: if ND squeaks out 9 wins, they get a BCS game.

Why do so many people get this rule wrong? There is no "Notre Dame Rule" in the BCS. ANY team with 9 or more wins and a top-12 finish is eligible for an at-large spot. ANY team with a top-6 finish is supposed to guarantee an at-large spot. Problem is, this year there were 3 at-large teams in the top 6: Ohio State, Oregon and Notre Dame. There's only 2 at-large slots, so somebody had to get left out, and that's left up to the discretion of the bowl games themselves.

If it were possible to do so and still put up the ruse of fairness, I’m sure the Notre Dame would get into a BCS game any year with a winning season, regardless of ranking.

I will now point out the 2002 season under Coach Tyrone Willingham, in which Notre Dame finished with 9 wins and a top-12 BCS ranking, making us eligible for an at-large spot. Yet we were NOT invited to a BCS bowl. But hey, don't let those pesky facts get in the way of your conspiracy theories.

In all of the various angry, grammatically incorrect responses generated by this post, keep in mind that this section was created for duck fans to voice opinions...

And keep in mind that this section was my idea. Just so you know.

 

[jiggafini19]

Didn't Fresno State take a nose dive in their last two games after losing to SC?

 

[Gizmo]

I'll play devil's advocate for a minute and defend the BCS. Typing that sentence made me sick to my stomach, but I'll try anyways.

Yes, the perception that fans will travel and tune in is an important factor in choosing bowl teams, but the BCS is about creating exciting matchups as well (which in turn make money). For instance, Notre Dame qualifed for a BCS bowl in 2002 but we were passed up. After starting 8-0 we played an awful game and lost to BC, damn near lost to Navy, and ended the season with a blowout loss to USC. We were not an exciting team to watch offensively, and it seemed our luck had finally run out on defense and special teams. Sure enough, we got beat soundly by N.C. State in the Gator Bowl.

My point is that Notre Dame, despite its fans and national appeal, was not selected for a BCS game. A Pac-10 and Big 10 team were both chosen as at large bids because they would provide a "better" matchup in the game. Outside of Duck fans, most "experts" believe that this year Notre Dame is the better team. It sucks if you're a Duck fan, but ask any objective observer and they will tell you that Charlie Weis' offense is one of the most exciting in college football.

Unfortunately, I get the feeling the BCS is going to make a tweak here and a tweak there every year, thus they will be able to say they are "improving" the system. This is merely a front however to keep the extremely lucrative conference championship and BCS system we have in place.

Well, I guess I couldn't really defend the BCS afterall.

 

[domerfor life]

I read Dux4Fiesta's post and that is about as contradictory as you can get. Arizona was "surging", but we can't use the fact that MSU was hot and we were still working out the kinks.?????? What? Anyway, there is a reason that I do not respect the Pac 10. SC is the only legit BCS team in that conference. Everyone else is a fraud. You say you belong in a BCS game, but you lose by 32 points to the only BCS-quality team on your schedule. I could see if you lost by a touchdown or a field goal, but you didn't. You got beat handily. Another reason why I can't respect the Pac 10 is because of this number: 29.25. That's USC's margin of victory in-conference. Pathetic.

 

[GREENJERSEYS'07]

But hey, don't let those pesky facts get in the way of your conspiracy theories.
And keep in mind that this section was my idea. Just so you know.

everything you wrote is about as good as it gets vince.Thanks for taking the time.I'm not gonna do it,I just read it for the amusement now.

 

[OregonDuckApologist]

Nevermind me... I'm an attention whore!

 

[OregonDuckApologist]

Your team is SO OVERATED... but not as much as my Oregon Ducks!

AFLAC!

 

[Aerosmith777]

Why do so many people get this rule wrong? There is no "Notre Dame Rule" in the BCS. ANY team with 9 or more wins and a top-12 finish is eligible for an at-large spot. ANY team with a top-6 finish is supposed to guarantee an at-large spot. Problem is, this year there were 3 at-large teams in the top 6: Ohio State, Oregon and Notre Dame. There's only 2 at-large slots, so somebody had to get left out, and that's left up to the discretion of the bowl games themselves.

If I'm not mistaken, that's not exactly the case. ND gets in automatically as a top 6 BCS team, but everyone else has to be top 4 if they didn't win their conference. That's b/c ND doesn't have a conference to win. But the point is, technically the bowls had no choice but to take ND and OSU this year b/c they were top 6 and top 4, respectively.

 

[Vince Young]

Once again, I've done the research. Bottom line: there is no "Notre Dame Rule," nor is there a "Top 4 Rule." Details follow.

Scroll to the bottom to the "Which Teams Are Eligible?" section. Rules 1 and 2 we already know: the six major conference champs get guaranteed spots, and #1 and #2 will play for the title.

Rules 3 and 4 govern the two at-large spots.

Key quote from Rule #3: "ANY Division I-A independent or team from Conference USA, the Mid-American, Mountain West, Sun Belt or Western Athletic Conference, will earn a guaranteed slot in one of the BCS bowl games should that team be ranked sixth or higher in the final BCS Standings."

Notice the key detail: no mention of Notre Dame by name. It could've been Navy finishing at #6, or Utah or Fresno State. ANY indie or mid-major team finishing in the top 6 is guaranteed a BCS slot. "Notre Dame Rule" my ass!

And from rule #4... "All other Division I-A teams that have won at least nine regular season games and are ranked among the top 12 in the final BCS Standings are eligible for selection as an at-large team."

I've combed the page, and there's no mention of any special rules regarding a top-4 finish, nor are there any special rules just for Notre Dame.

So, by Rule 3, since there was an independent team in the top 6, that independent team was guaranteed a spot. The fact that this independent team happens to be called "Notre Dame" has nothing to do with anything.

By Rule 4, Ohio State, Oregon, Miami, Auburn, Virginia Tech and LSU were all eligible for the last remaining at-large spot by finishing in the top 12 with 9 wins. 6 eligible teams, 1 spot left. The Fiesta Bowl chose Ohio State, but by the rules they could've picked any of those other teams, because there is no "Top 4 Rule."

Sorry, Oregon... next time, play USC tighter and replace Montana with at least a I-A bottom-feeder, and your 10-1 will look more impressive than Ohio State's 9-2.

 

[Aerosmith777]

but wait, if that's true then why did the Rose Bowl take Texas last year? They didn't want to take Texas, they wanted to take Cal, but Texas was forced on them by the BCS. I'm pretty sure if a school from a BCS conference finishes in the top 4 they are an automatic.

and yeah, its not just ND that is automatic if they finish in the top 6, its ND and any other non-bcs conference school. But still, I think that's what Oregon fans are whining about, that ND is an automatic as a top 6 school but Oregon isn't.

 

[Aerosmith777]

Yeah, here's the link I was looking for:

http://www.bcsfootball.org/index2.cfm?page=standards

"After application of the previous provisions, if any at-large slots remain unfilled and the team ranked either three or four is from the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pacific-10, or Southeastern Conference but is not its representative, that team shall automatically fill one at-large slot and shall be selected to play in one of the BCS bowls."

O$U is an automatic this year for being the #4 ranked BCS team, and ND is too for being the #6. So the bowls didn't really have a choice when they took ND and O$U (not that they would've taken Oregon anyway). But I think that's what our Duck "friends" are so upset/jealous about. That ND gets the same treatment of every other school that doesn't belong to a BCS conference.

 

[Vince Young]

Okay, finally I see the Top 4 Rule everyone's been talking about.

As for the so-called "Notre Dame Rule," that's the thing, it's not a Notre Dame Rule at all. As I pointed out, teams like Navy, Utah and Fresno State would also get an automatic BCS spot by the exact same rule just by reaching the top 6.

There is no Notre Dame Rule.

 

[Domer95]

Didn't Fresno State take a nose dive in their last two games after losing to SC?

NO!!!!!!!!!!! They SURGED!!!!!!!


Isn't Oregon's bowl this weekend???? OH NO. Sorry, that's U BICH on the Smurf Turf.

GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Vince Young]

NO!!!!!!!!!!! They SURGED!!!!!!!

Nicely played! Rep for you, Domer.

 

[jiggafini19]

Another reason why I can't respect the Pac 10 is because of this number: 29.25. That's USC's margin of victory in-conference. Pathetic.

If this isn't proof a playoff system is needed, I don't know what is.

Put SC or Texas in the SEC, Big Ten and ACC and let's see what happens.

The Trojans will be on top out there for a long time, thus giving them a shot each year as long as the pre WAC 10 schedule consists of Hawaii and the Mitch Mustain led Razorbacks of Arkansas.

They do have a two year series with Ohio State, which should be interesting, down the road sometime. Other than that, with the talent they have stocked I would expect them to have the Pac 10 BCS bid secured for many moons to come.

 

[Aerosmith777]

They do have a two year series with Ohio State, which should be interesting, down the road sometime. Other than that, with the talent they have stocked I would expect them to have the Pac 10 BCS bid secured for many moons to come.

sadly those types of out of conference series are gonna get more and more rare in the near future, if you believe what you hear on the four-letter network anyway. Schools don't want to schedule games w/ tough out of conference opponents anymore b/c they figure they'll have to face one or two in conference as it is, plus any non-conference yearly rivals.

One of the cool things about being a fan of an independent, they get to make their own schedule and play everyone from time to time. Penn State, Tennessee, FSU, its nice ND doesn't have to limt itself the way conference schools do in order to preserve perfect seasons and win a title.

 

[domerfor life]

sadly those types of out of conference series are gonna get more and more rare in the near future, if you believe what you hear on the four-letter network anyway. Schools don't want to schedule games w/ tough out of conference opponents anymore b/c they figure they'll have to face one or two in conference as it is, plus any non-conference yearly rivals.
One of the cool things about being a fan of an independent, they get to make their own schedule and play everyone from time to time. Penn State, Tennessee, FSU, its nice ND doesn't have to limt itself the way conference schools do in order to preserve perfect seasons and win a title.

Yeah, I think these non-conference games are ridiculous. Big-time schools playing Div I-AA and bottom-rung Div I-A teams is a travesty. At least give us a couple of games that match two Top 10/Top 15 teams. Everybody always says that this conference is best or this conference is better, but how do you know that if top teams from each conference don't want to schedule each other? Case in point, the SEC. Everybody is saying how tough the defenses are in the SEC. Compared to what? They played nor won any meaningful non-conference games. Auburn lost to Georgia Tech, Tennessee got blasted by Notre Dame, Arkansas got rocked by SC but almost stole one from LSU. Tennessee loses 6-3 to Bama and then ND scores 41 on them. The SEC was exposed this year. The only two teams with a consistent offense are Georgia and Auburn. The rest of the teams are either extremely inconsistent or just plain terrible. Give me a Texas vs OSU type game every year. We need more of them. That's what made college football so fantastic this year. The hype of that game and the ND/SC game were incredible.

 

[jiggafini19]

Their defenses are so athletic, but they schedule crap outside of playing each other. And probably for the reasons Aerosmith mentions.

USC will be Florida State in the pre-raided ACC for years to come. Perhaps their conference foes can close the gap to three touchdowns in 2006.

 

[domerfor life]

Their defenses are so athletic, but they schedule crap outside of playing each other. And probably for the reasons Aerosmith mentions.
USC will be Florida State in the pre-raided ACC for years to come. Perhaps their conference foes can close the gap to three touchdowns in 2006.

I doubt that Jigg. I don't think they will lose a conference game next year. The rest of the league is just too far behind.

 

[jiggafini19]

I doubt that Jigg. I don't think they will lose a conference game next year. The rest of the league is just too far behind.

I agree 100%. Even with all these offensive stars leaving, they'll have tuneups against Arkansas on the road and (Once) Mighty Nebraska at home before their WAC 10 opener with....Arizona on the road (Darth Vader music here). Will Pete Carroll lose to a team with a high school coach as their new offensive coordinator? I'd be willing to bet a morgage payment he won't.

they get ASU, Oregon and Cal at home in '06. I would not be shocked if they were 10-0 heading into the ND game out there in LA LA Land.

 

[jiggafini19]

Updated: Dec. 12, 2005, 8:13 PM ET
Irish receive 45,589 requests for Fiesta Bowl tickets
Associated Press

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame has received 45,589 ticket requests for the Jan. 2 Fiesta Bowl game against Ohio State and school officials believe they've never had more.

John Heisler, senior associate athletic director, said the school doesn't keep records for ticket demand. But the Fighting Irish have played in 26 bowls and no one can remember such demand.

By comparison, when the Irish went to the Fiesta Bowl following the 2000 season, the school received 22,000 ticket requests.

Fewer than 12,500 tickets are available for alumni, season ticket holders, students' parents, faculty and staff. The school was allotted 15,000 tickets, and 2,500 were sold to students last week. Some of the tickets also will go to university officials.

 

[Rip Rap]

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame has received 45,589 ticket requests for the Jan. 2 Fiesta Bowl game against Ohio State and school officials believe they've never had more. By comparison, when the Irish went to the Fiesta Bowl following the 2000 season, the school received 22,000 ticket requests.
Fewer than 12,500 tickets are available for alumni, season ticket holders, students' parents, faculty and staff.

What a difference a belief we can win makes.

 

[jiggafini19]

What a difference a belief we can win makes.

This game can't get here fast enough.

December so far has been Oregon talk and Mitch Mustain rumors.

I'm ready for some actual football to actually be played.

As our President would say, Notre Dame has the "strategery" on their side.

 

[paduckfan]

If this has already been posted here...I couldn't find it. My apologies if it has.

But in between all the arguements back and forth about who rules college football, the realities of hard cold life does march on.

Please see the below. Maybe the Notre Dame board wants to jump on board?


Message boards spark fundraising campaign
By Wayne Drehs
ESPN.com


Twelve-year-old Nikolette Harris' favorite sport is soccer. Her favorite college is Oregon State. But as the little girl lays in a Portland, Ore., intensive care unit, fighting leukemia for a third time, her likes and dislikes are quickly starting to change.

That's because of the swell of support she's receiving from college football fans across the country.

Harris suffers from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common cancer found in children. According to the National Cancer Institute, 80 percent of children afflicted with ALL will recover from the disease. But Nikolette has already done this. Twice.

Problem is, Nikolette's body has grown resistant to chemotherapy treatments and she needs a life-saving bone marrow transplant. But the cost to her family -- after insurance -- is expected to top $125,000.

"That's where the fundraising comes into play," said Marc Harris, Nikolette's father. "We have to find some way to pay for this."

Her family has started a Web site. Her middle school has hosted crafts sales, bake sales. And at her former elementary school, the Nickels for Nikolette campaign has brought in more than $2,000.

But that's nothing compared to what's happening on college football message boards across the country. In a place where most fans gather to complain about play calls, gripe about coaches, gossip about recruiting and trash upcoming opponents, fans have gathered to try and help save a little girl's life.

It all started on the Oregon message board, EDuck.com, where Susan Flad, a longtime Ducks fan, posted a message explaining Nikolette's story and asking for donations. Flad's mother, Betty Holden, was an instructional assistant at Nikolette's elementary school, watching up close as the child battled leukemia as a first- and third-grader.

"I still remember my Mom talking to me [about her] trying to keep from crying as this third-grader explained what chemo was, why she was bald and everything else," Flad said. "So I wanted to help. When I originally tried to gather donations in my office I got a total of five dollars. So I thought I'd give this a whirl."

The idea took off, with Oregon fans donating more than $4,000 in less than a week. Another fan saw the posting and, with the Ducks scheduled to face Oklahoma in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl on Dec. 29, challenged Oklahoma fans to beat Oregon's donations. After 14,000 page views and 225 posts on OUInsider.com, Flad said Sooner fans have raised close to $12,000 for Nikolette.

"Their site gets a little more traffic than we do," she explained.

Subsequent requests have been posted on message boards for Auburn, Alabama, Mississippi State, Nebraska and Texas. The word has even spread to Holiday Bowl officials, who have granted the family a 20-second spot during the game to thank the fans of both schools for their donations.

"It's just amazing," Marc Harris said. "Simply amazing. I can't believe all these complete strangers who are helping us out of the kindness of their heart. I can't begin to express my appreciation enough. I never thought something like this could happen."

At a time where most of the conversation surrounding the Holiday Bowl is how 10-1 Oregon got cheated out of a spot in the BCS, few outside of the message board world have any idea how much a core group of Oregon fans are actually grateful that they're going to the Holiday Bowl and playing the Sooners.

"One Sooner fan told me that they remember how generous people were during the Oklahoma City bombing and that this is their turn to give back," Flad said. "It's just heartwarming this time of the year. The family appreciates it."

And a sick little girl in intensive care is starting to gain an appreciation for college football. Especially for Oregon, Oklahoma, Auburn, Mississippi State and the rest of the fan bases that have stepped forward to support her. Each day that Nikolette is up for it, her father prints out the various entries from the guestbook on her Web site, www.curenikolette.org and blows his daughter away with the nationwide support.

Can't wait to see you cheering for the Ducks on the sidelines in a few years. Although, we would gladly take you too. Boomer Sooner

Hi Nikolette!!! We are praying for you and know that God is going to take care of you. War Eagle and Merry Christmas from the Auburn Tigers!!!

Hello Nikolette, I am a Bulldog from Mississippi State and I want you to know that my wife and I are praying for you and your recovery. Please keep the faith!

"She's a ways from college yet," Harris said. "But she's been saying to me now, 'What about Mississippi State? And Alabama? Oklahoma? Oregon?' This has opened her eyes to a whole new world."

Hopefully, it's only the beginning.

 

[irish4life99]

That's a touching story. Keep us updated. My family and I will pray for her.

 

[IrishRule]

Oregon is deserving of a BCS bowl. So is Notre Dame. Oregon has not beaten any top 25 teams. Also, there are a number of teams that have equivalent records to Michigan that Oregon has beaten. What baffles me is why Michigan is ranked higher to two teams that have equal or better records and have beaten Michigan. I don't really buy into the we are better argument because we didn't play Montana. Syracuse is just as bad. I also don't buy the argument that the Michigan State game was a quality loss. 10-1 is better than 9-2 and when it all boils down Oregon is more deserving of Ohio State, Notre Dame, Florida State, West Virginia, and every other team out there with two losses. But all that doesn't matter and Oregon will have it's hands full with Oklahoma. I personally think Notre Dame matches up better to the Ducks then Ohio State though. We're going to have our hands full.

 

[Vince Young]

Oregon is deserving of a BCS bowl. So is Notre Dame. Oregon has not beaten any top 25 teams. Also, there are a number of teams that have equivalent records to Michigan that Oregon has beaten. What baffles me is why Michigan is ranked higher to two teams that have equal or better records and have beaten Michigan. I don't really buy into the we are better argument because we didn't play Montana. Syracuse is just as bad. I also don't buy the argument that the Michigan State game was a quality loss. 10-1 is better than 9-2 and when it all boils down Oregon is more deserving of Ohio State, Notre Dame, Florida State, West Virginia, and every other team out there with two losses. But all that doesn't matter and Oregon will have it's hands full with Oklahoma. I personally think Notre Dame matches up better to the Ducks then Ohio State though. We're going to have our hands full.

Drugs are bad, m'kaaaaay?

 

[domerfor life]

Oregon is deserving of a BCS bowl. So is Notre Dame. Oregon has not beaten any top 25 teams. Also, there are a number of teams that have equivalent records to Michigan that Oregon has beaten. What baffles me is why Michigan is ranked higher to two teams that have equal or better records and have beaten Michigan. I don't really buy into the we are better argument because we didn't play Montana. Syracuse is just as bad. I also don't buy the argument that the Michigan State game was a quality loss. 10-1 is better than 9-2 and when it all boils down Oregon is more deserving of Ohio State, Notre Dame, Florida State, West Virginia, and every other team out there with two losses. But all that doesn't matter and Oregon will have it's hands full with Oklahoma. I personally think Notre Dame matches up better to the Ducks then Ohio State though. We're going to have our hands full.

You're only say.......ummmm about three weeks late on this one buddy. If you're scared, say you're scared. I ain't scared and I don't care about Oregon being more deserving. One more thing.....LSD's bad m'kay.

 

[IrishRule]

lol

lol

Scared? Nope. I know how Notre Dame chokes. I've been a fan for the past twenty years. Also, come up with something original mkay?